George Tupou V is Crowned as the New King of Tonga

Tonga operates as a constitutional monarchy. The reverence for the monarch is likened[by whom?] to that held in earlier centuries for the sacred paramount chief, the Tuʻi Tonga. Criticism of the monarch is held to be contrary to Tongan culture and etiquette. A direct descendant of the first monarch, King George Tupou V, his family, some powerful nobles, and a growing non-royal elite caste live in much wealth, with the rest of the country living in relative poverty. The effects of this disparity are mitigated by three factors: education, medicine, and land tenure.

The 2006 Nukuʻalofa riots started on November 16, in the Tongan capital of Nukuʻalofa. The Legislative Assembly of Tonga (the majority of which is appointed by the King) was due to adjourn for the year and despite promises of action, had done little to advance democracy in the government. A mixed crowd of democracy advocates took to the streets in protest. Some people in the crowd starting tipping over cars, then progressed to looting and burning buildings.